10. Identify the bird, using any key or guide you have. Do not ask any one to help you until you have exhausted your own resources. Comparative Study of Birds 1. In what ways do the feet of birds vary? Give examples to illustrate your answer. What are the principal results of these variations? 2. In what ways do the beaks of birds vary? Give examples of the variations and of the special uses of the beaks. 3. How do water birds differ from land birds; flesh-eating birds from seed eaters; insect-eating birds from seed eaters; shore and swamp birds from land birds? Work in the Field _Materials._ (1) Birds in the field, field or opera glasses, and bird guides. (2) Some extra time, as field work is rather slow. (3) Considerable energy, as birds rise early and may be up and away before the usual hour for your appearance. _Directions._ The object of this work is to become acquainted with the living bird, to learn not only its name, but also some of its ways. You will need to spend time to do this, and as a rule the more time you spend the more you will see. Every time you go out after birds, _record at the time_ every kind of bird you see, so that at the end of the season you will know not only when each kind of bird came, but also how long it staid. When you see a new bird, record immediately its colors, markings, actions, notes, and anything else which may help you later to identify it. Do not trust to memory nor to the inspiration of the classroom. After weeks of observation, write the following summary. Summary of the Results of Field Study of Birds 1. Over what length of time have your observations extended? Where have you studied? What have you found to be the best conditions for studying birds? How many birds have you identified? 2. When in the year do birds migrate; when in the twenty-four hours? 3. In spring migration which birds come first; which come last? What reason is there for this order? 4. What may retard migration? What may hasten it? 5. What could prevent certain birds from ever coming here, or, if they did come, from staying? 6. Name some birds which stay here permanently; some which come only for the winter; some which come for the summers; some which merely pass through, going and coming. 7. Can you see anything which may determine whether a bird will nest here or farther north? If so, what is it? 8. Why is the house sparrow so successful? 9. Why are blue jays so nomadic in winter? 10. What months do the herring gulls stay here? When do they leave? Where do they go when they leave? What do they do while they are gone? When do they return? What is their economic value? 11. How many birds' nests have you seen this spring? To what kinds of birds did they belong? If you have been able to study one in particular, give its history as far as you know it. 12. Tell what you have learned by your own observation this spring concerning the kinds of food birds eat, and their methods of obtaining food.